Date: Mon, 27 Dec 1999
Glenn, I have a 1967 P1800 that I purchased almost two years ago. The car is in decent shape. I drive it mostly on weekends but occasionally to work. I am not particularly mechanical, and I wonder if you have any thoughts on my current problem.
When I tried to start the car this morning, after turning over the engine a couple of times, the key simply stopped working. When I turned the key either to the right or the left, nothing happened - no generator light, no fuel guages, nothing. While it is cold out, I'm sure it is not the battery.
Is it possible that something can happen to the actual ignition key mechanism? The keys are probably copies of copies of copies of the original keys. If the problem was with the ignition key mechanism, who would be the best person to fix it - a mechanic? a locksmith?
Am I completely off-base? Is the problem something with the electrical system in general? Or is the info I given you too vague for any kind of assessment?
Thanks for any help or thoughts.
Tom Wood.
Tom - It is possible for the ignition switch to go bad, but this is not the most likely cause of your problem. Usually a bad switch will still work in one or more of the available positions, if not the start position. In other words, it's unusual for a bad switch to cause a no-start problem AND a gauge problem.
The first thing I'd look at would be the battery connections. Before you attempt any work around the battery, you should be aware that batteries contain sulfuric acid and release explosive hydrogen gas, and they can blow up in your face if you're not careful. To avoid sparks, remove the negative (-) connector first. Use a battery brush to clean the inside of the connector and the terminal on the battery. Set the negative connector aside and do the same with the positive (+) connector and terminal. Use moist paper towels to clean the top of the battery, and dry with dry paper towels. When finished, reconnect the positive connector first to avoid sparks.
Battery terminals and connectors need to be cleaned periodically because of normal corrosion and dirt buildup. If this doesn't fix the problem, you may need to troubleshoot the ignition system with a volt-ohmmeter, starting with the ignition switch. -Glenn.